---
title: 'Sourcing Manager - AI Infrastructure at Graphcore'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/sourcing-manager-ai-infrastructure-graphcore-milpitas-9zg5ays615wf'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-13'
---

# Sourcing Manager - AI Infrastructure at Graphcore

- **Company:** Graphcore
- **Location:** Milpitas, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-06-18
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-13
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/graphcore/jobs/8597761002

## Job description

## About us

Graphcore is one of the world’s leading innovators in Artificial Intelligence compute.

It is developing hardware, software and systems infrastructure that will unlock the next generation of AI breakthroughs and power the widespread adoption of AI solutions across every industry.

As part of the SoftBank Group, Graphcore is a member of an elite family of companies responsible for some of the world’s most transformative technologies. Together, they share a bold vision: to enable Artificial Super Intelligence and ensure its benefits are accessible to everyone.

Graphcore’s teams are drawn from diverse backgrounds and bring a broad range of skills and perspectives. A melting pot of AI research specialists, silicon designers, software engineers and systems architects, Graphcore enjoys a culture of continuous learning and constant innovation.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Sourcing Manager – AI Infrastructure to lead strategic sourcing activities across key infrastructure technologies supporting Graphcore’s AI compute platforms. Reporting into the Global Sourcing Management team, this role will partner closely with Engineering, Product, Operations, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain teams to develop sourcing strategies, manage supplier relationships, negotiate commercial agreements, and ensure resilient supply for critical infrastructure components.

The successful candidate will combine strong commercial acumen with a solid understanding of AI infrastructure technologies, enabling effective engagement with suppliers and technical stakeholders while balancing cost, quality, delivery, scalability, and risk objectives. This role draws upon leading practices from AI infrastructure sourcing environments while aligning with Graphcore’s strategic sourcing model.

The Team

The Global Sourcing Management (GSM) team defines and executes supplier strategies across Graphcore’s hardware and infrastructure ecosystem.

The team works closely with Engineering, Product Management, Operations, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain functions to establish strategic supplier partnerships that support technology development, infrastructure deployment, operational excellence, and long-term business growth. The team is responsible for ensuring Graphcore has access to the technologies, manufacturing capabilities, and supply capacity required to support current and future business needs.

## Responsibilities and Duties

- Own sourcing strategy development and execution for assigned AI infrastructure commodities and suppliers.
- Lead end-to-end sourcing activities including supplier identification, qualification, RFQ/RFP management, commercial evaluation, supplier selection, and contract negotiation.
- Develop and maintain strong supplier relationships, driving performance across cost, quality, delivery, capacity, and responsiveness.
- Partner closely with Engineering and Product teams to understand technical requirements and align sourcing decisions with product and infrastructure objectives.
- Evaluate supplier capabilities, technology roadmaps, manufacturing readiness, and scalability to support business growth.
- Lead commercial negotiations for pricing, supply agreements, capacity reservations, development activities, and long-term strategic partnerships.
- Build and maintain cost models, benchmark analyses, and total cost of ownership assessments to support sourcing decisions.
- Drive supplier performance management through regular business reviews, scorecards, corrective action plans, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Identify and mitigate supply chain risks through market intelligence, supplier diversification, contingency planning, and business continuity strategies.
- Monitor industry trends, supplier landscapes, component availability, and market dynamics to inform sourcing strategies and procurement decisions.
- Collaborate with Legal, Finance, Quality, Operations, and Manufacturing teams to ensure sourcing activities support business objectives and compliance requirements.
- Provide regular reporting and recommendations to leadership regarding supplier performance, commercial opportunities, sourcing risks, and mitigation plans.

Candidate Profile

Essential

- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Business, or a related subject area.
- Experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, supplier management, or supply chain roles within technology, infrastructure, electronics, or hardware-focused environments.
- Knowledge of AI infrastructure, high-performance computing, servers, networking, storage technologies, or related hardware ecosystems.
- Demonstrated experience leading supplier negotiations, commercial agreements, and sourcing projects.
- Strong analytical and commercial skills, including cost modelling, pricing analysis, and total cost of ownership methodologies.
- Experience managing supplier performance and driving measurable improvements in cost, quality, delivery, and supply continuity.
- Ability to assess technical requirements and collaborate effectively with engineering and product development teams.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel and PowerPoint.

Desirable

- Experience sourcing infrastructure hardware, compute platforms, servers, networking equipment, storage systems, PCBAs, or related technologies.
- Familiarity with global supplier ecosystems across North America, Europe, and Asia.
- Experience supporting data center, cloud infrastructure, AI infrastructure, or high-performance computing deployments.
- Understanding of manufacturing processes, supplier industrialization, and new product introduction activities.
- Experience developing supplier risk management, resiliency, and business continuity programmes.
- Knowledge of responsible sourcing and sustainability considerations within technology supply chains.

In addition to a competitive salary, Graphcore offers flexible working and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, wellbeing and financial future. Our benefits include medical, dental and vision coverage, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), disability and life insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan, commuter benefits, wellness services and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). We welcome people of different backgrounds and experiences; we're committed to building an inclusive work environment that makes Graphcore a great home for everyone. We offer an equal opportunity process and understand that there are visible and invisible differences in all of us. We can provide a flexible approach to interview and encourage you to chat to us if you require any reasonable adjustments.

## About Graphcore

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Graphcore designs and builds the Intelligence Processing Unit (IPU), a processor purpose-built for machine intelligence, and provides a complete AI compute stack from silicon to software.
- **Entity Type**: Private (wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp as of 2025/2026)
- **Headquarters**: Bristol, England, UK
- **Founded**: 2016
- **Founders**: Nigel Toon and Simon Knowles

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: AI hardware/accelerators, semiconductor design, AI software platform
- **Target customers**: Cloud providers (Microsoft Azure), enterprises, AI researchers, hyperscalers
- **Mission statement**: “Let innovators create the next breakthroughs in machine intelligence to enhance human potential”

## Products & Services
- **[IPU (Intelligence Processing Unit)](https://www.graphcore.ai/)**: A processor designed from the ground up for machine intelligence workloads; uses a massively parallel architecture (MIMD) with fine-grained compute and on-chip memory.
- **[IPU-Machine M2000](https://www.graphcore.ai/about)**: Second-generation IPU platform – a 1U server appliance housing 4 MK2 GC200 IPU processors, delivering an 8× performance uplift over the first generation.
- **[C2 IPU Accelerator PCIe Card](https://www.graphcore.ai/about)**: PCIe form factor accelerator for server integration, first demonstrated at ICML 2018.
- **[Poplar Software Stack](https://www.graphcore.ai/)**: Full SDK and framework integration (PyTorch, TensorFlow) that lets developers target the IPU directly.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Acquired by SoftBank Group Corp (amount undisclosed); prior to acquisition valued at $2.77 B (Series E, lead by Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board).
- **Key Metric**: Total funding raised prior to acquisition – over $680 M across Series A through E.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: SoftBank (owner), Microsoft (customer and investor), BMW, Samsung, Dell Technologies, Bosch, Sequoia Capital, Atomico, Fidelity, Baillie Gifford, Ontario Teachers’.
- **Growth Signals**: Part of the fast-growing SoftBank AI ecosystem; expanding teams globally (Bristol, London, Cambridge, Gdańsk, Hsinchu, Bengaluru); first customer (Microsoft Azure) live since 2018.

## Competitive Advantages
- **First purpose-built AI processor**: The IPU architecture is fundamentally different from GPUs – designed specifically for the sparse, parallel nature of neural network computation.
- **Full stack ownership**: Graphcore controls silicon, system hardware, and software (Poplar), enabling tight optimisation across the entire compute chain.
- **Cloud + on‑prem availability**: IPUs are available in the cloud on Microsoft Azure and as hardware from Dell, giving customers flexible deployment options.
- **Strong IP and ecosystem**: 99+ engineering staff; deep expertise in semiconductor, systems, and AI software, backed by long-term SoftBank investment.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scale AI infrastructure**: Delivering key technology into SoftBank’s global AI ecosystem and expanding the IPU platform to meet growing demand for AI compute.
- **Expand into new regions**: Opening offices and hiring in India (Bengaluru) and across Europe (Gdańsk, London, Cambridge) to accelerate R&D and customer support.
- **Democratise AI**: Continuing to lower the barrier for machine intelligence by providing accessible, high-efficiency hardware and software for innovators worldwide.

## Why Work Here
- **Flexible hybrid work**: Employees are expected on-site three days a week, with trust and flexibility to balance work and life.
- **Comprehensive benefits**: Unlimited annual leave, private medical insurance (UK), dental & health cash plan, income protection, life assurance, pension matched up to 5%, generous parental leave, and a personal development plan.
- **Culture and growth**: ML reading groups, board game socials, book clubs, yoga, running, watersports, team events; strong DE+I initiatives; ambitious but supportive environment.
- **Perks**: Free barista‑made coffee, snacks, and wellbeing rooms; cycle‑to‑work scheme; gym membership discount; education/training allowances.
- **Purpose-driven work**: Opportunity to shape the future of AI compute and see your contributions used by global innovators.

## Sources
1. [graphcore.ai/about](https://www.graphcore.ai/about)
2. [graphcore.ai/](https://www.graphcore.ai/)
3. [graphcore.ai/careers](https://www.graphcore.ai/careers)
4. [graphcore.ai/jobs](https://www.graphcore.ai/jobs)
5. [builtin.com/company/graphcore](https://builtin.com/company/graphcore)

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